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‘Grotesque’ scenes in San Marino’s queues for English courses

Students in the Republic of San Marino – a micro-state with 32,000 residents surrounded by central Italy – are protesting after being excluded from subsidised First Certificate of English (FCE) preparation courses, according to local press reports.

Demand for these courses far exceeds the limited number available for secondary school students.

The San Marino Student Association reported ‘grotesque’ situations recently, with crowds of students lining up and pushing ‘like crazy’ in order to get a place in the sought-after programme. The association advocated for a more rigorous selection process and for more available places next year.

According to public service broadcaster RTV San Marino, the Department of Education responded by pledging to allocate resources to assist students excluded from the course.